The Exceeding Joy of Rained-out Vacations

My husband went on a business trip, and obligingly let me and my little nursling tag along. My generous sister-in-law was even willing to take the three big kids for four days and continue homeschooling them in my absence. (It's definitely a blessing to have another homeschooling mom in the family!). So on Monday afternoon, Don, Abby and I boarded a plane in Boston and headed to Orlando for some necessary business and some fun in the sun.

Abby was a doll on the plane ride, bouncing happily in the beginning and end, nursing on the way up and down, and sleeping on my lap in the middle. Since I tend to get sick on plane rides myself, I am very thankful for children who tolerate them well. Our flight was delayed about 20 minutes by some bad weather, but we eventually landed, and my ear popped enough to relieve the painful pressure I had experienced in the air. After a long trek and then a wait at baggage claim, we gathered our suitcases and went to pick up our rental car. Although we were staying on Disney property during the conference and a shuttle was provided, I had requested renting a car for a day so that we could spend a few hours at Cocoa Beach, just an hour away from Orlando. Why come all the way to Florida without seeing the ocean? Don had agreed that it would be fun if we rented a cool sporty convertible to cruise to the beach, so we went to the rental counter to pick up our Ford Mustang.

Except, the Mustang wasn't there. They wanted to give us a Sebring instead, but we had paid for a Mustang convertible. After a few minutes, a suitable car was found, and we crammed our suitcases, stroller, and selves into the black sportscar. It was now much later than I had anticipated leaving the airport, and the skies looked ominous, so we weren't sure if driving all the way to the beach was a good idea. We decided to take our luggage to the hotel and make a decision there. We drove with the top up, because it was raining, and Abby - who had been so sweet and wonderful on the plane ride - screamed the entire way. The car had great pick-up, but the headrests were uncomfortable, and the voice commands took ages to respond correctly. At check-in, there was a brief scare where Don thought that we were being charged $500 to add Abby and me to the room (thankfully it was just a misunderstanding!). Then we found our way through the maze of the resort paths and halls to our room, and breathed a small sigh of relief.

In case you haven't guessed by now, we weren't going to the beach. As much as we wanted to, the thought of driving all the way there only to find rain was discouraging. Abby was asleep in her carseat, so we headed out to dinner at the Outback instead. Some good food helped the evening take a turn for the better, and then we returned the rental car and rode the shuttle bus back to our resort. Our room was nothing terribly special, but it was cleaner than some hotels where we have stayed, and it was nice to finally relax.

On Tuesday morning, I had planned to take care of some business computer tasks and get a tan by the pool. God had other plans, though; the internet was painfully slow, and it rained all morning. A mid-day overcast sky gave me just enough time to take a walk with Abby before more rain came. We were here in Florida, the Sunshine State, and the sun was nowhere to be seen. With no beach, unfavorable pool weather, no where to go without stepping outside, and a slow internet connection, the cable TV was starting to look like the highlight of the trip. As I walked along winding paths through the muggy grayness, I wondered what God was trying to say to me. I wasn't happy, but I knew that He is in control. For some reason, He saw fit to send rain.

Back in the hotel room, as I wondered what God was saying, I clearly felt Him tell me to listen. I hadn't bothered to pack a Bible, since I knew it would be accessible on my phone and laptop, but thankfully the Gideons had placed one in my dresser drawer. I opened it up somewhere in the middle to see how the Lord would speak to me through His Word, and here is what I read:

Psalm 43
Judge me, O God, and plead my cause against an ungodly nation: O deliver me from the deceitful and unjust man.
For thou art the God of my strength: why dost thou cast me off? why go I mourning because of the oppression of the enemy?
O send out thy light and thy truth: let them lead me; let them bring me unto thy holy hill, and to thy tabernacles.
Then will I go unto the altar of God, unto God my exceeding joy: yea, upon the harp will I praise thee, O God my God.
Why art thou cast down, O my soul? and why art thou disquieted within me? hope in God: for I shall yet praise him, who is the health of my countenance, and my God.

Isn't it amazing that when we listen, God speaks? There in a simple Psalm, He clearly told me: "I am your health, your beauty, your joy. Sunshine and swimming pools can't give you the joy that I can. When you feel discontent, and things aren't going perfectly, look at ME! I am Light and Truth and the Way. Come to me, because here is not some shallow, sun-kissed happiness, but deep and lasting exceeding joy!"

And by God's grace, on Wednesday, the sun came out. I probably wouldn't have appreciated it so much if it hadn't rained on Monday and Tuesday. And I may never have looked up and wondered and read and remembered that no matter what the weather, exceeding joy is mine in Christ.

Lavished with Grace

It is a busy season here, with so many new routines and activities. But as I say to the strangers in the grocery store who exclaim, "You're busy!" when they see my cart-full of children, "Yes, but it's a good busy." And I am so thankful that one of my new busy things is the Good Morning Girls group. Besides the wonderful (albeit virtual) fellowship with some dear sisters in Christ, I am finding precious blessings in making time daily to dig deeper into God's Word, pulling out each jewel of Scripture to examine it and delight in its beauty.

The Ephesians study is perfect for me, because I actually started memorizing Ephesians a few years ago. I learned through somewhere in Chapter 2 before, sadly, I neglected my resolution. This year, I am hoping to resume memorizing one of my most-underlined books as I study a few verses each day and reflect on what God wants to say to me. Having His Word in my heart always yields blessings!

Today we looked at Ephesians 1:7-10:
In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace, which he lavished on us with all wisdom and understanding. And he made known to us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure, which he purposed in Christ, to be put into effect when the times will have reached their fulfillment -- to bring all things in heaven and on earth together under one head, even Christ.

In these verses, I am struck by the luxury: the riches of God’s grace that He lavished on us with all wisdom and understanding. According to BlueLetterBible.org, the Greek word translated “lavished” is perisseuō, which can mean “to exceed a fixed number of measure, to be left over and above a certain number or measure” or “to make to abound.” It is used in Matthew 14 and 15 to refer to the basketfuls of bread that were left over after Jesus fed the crowds. A sub-definition of the second meaning is “to furnish one richly so that he has abundance.”

When I think of words like this, I tend to think of material possessions, or even the blessings of health, family, and fellowship. But God says that what He lavished on us was grace - the forgiveness of sins that we have through the blood of Jesus. He didn't just give us what we need, carefully measuring a cup of grace for each sin. No, He poured it out, burying even the vilest of sinners in a shower of incredible forgiveness. What incredible luxury!

The word is used several more times throughout the New Testament. For example:
- Then he said to them, "Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; a man's life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions." (Luke 12:15)
- How much more did God's grace and the gift that came by the grace of the one man, Jesus Christ, overflow to the many! (Rom. 5:15)
- the grace that is reaching more and more people may cause thanksgiving to overflow to the glory of God (2 Cor. 4:15)
- their overflowing joy and their extreme poverty welled up in rich generosity (2 Cor. 8:2)
- And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work. (2 Cor. 9:8)

Abounding, overflowing, lavish grace: that is what the Lord God extended to me. Like silks and jewels overflowing a queen's treasury, I am blessed with so many riches that I simply cannot count - or contain - them. God's grace fills me, leaving an abundance left over to share with others. His forgiveness, His love, His joy, must trickle out from me as I realize how blessedly rich I am in Christ.

Practically, how can I extend this grace to my children? How can I discipline when it is warranted without ceasing to pour out grace? How can I show them the great and amazing forgiveness of the Lord? How can I overcome headaches, tension, exhaustion, and sibling battles to overflow with goodness? Second Corinthians 9:8 promises that I will abound in every good work. Raising my children, loving my husband, keeping my home, studying God's Word - these are the good works He has given me in this season, and His overflowing grace WILL supply all that I need. I am so thankful for this refreshing reminder that I am a blessed recipient of the amazing, abundant, luxurious grace of God!

And as one who has been forgiven with unmeasured grace, my role is to let it overflow, spilling and spreading God's beautiful grace all around me. May we all be overflowing vessels as we realize that our redemption through Christ's blood is the ultimate gift from a lavishly generous Father.

All Things New

“Forget the former things;
do not dwell on the past.
See, I am doing a new thing!"
Isaiah 43:18-19a

Happy New Year! I hope to be able to blog more in 2012, but so many new things are keeping me busy that I rarely have a spare moment at the computer. There's the new baby, of course, who has been keeping hands occupied for three sweet months now. And Don starting a new job meant more transitions for our family. Since he can set his own hours, he has been leaving home extra early in order to beat the rush hour traffic. The trade-off for his pre-dawn disappearance is that we get to spend time with him in the afternoon. Of course, now that he is working outside the home and I have errands and children's activities to get to, we also needed a second vehicle.

For a few weeks, we pondered the many options: an expensive new commuter car, a cheap old car that may break down, a bigger family vehicle so that Don could take the van (which we own), buying him a truck that could also be used for trash-hauling and hunting trips, leasing something, and so on. Meanwhile, our dear friends were also in the process of preparing for a new job. Jared's new position as a youth pastor at a church in Kansas meant that he and Laura would be moving halfway across the country, and they didn't want to drive both of their vehicles out there, so they planned to sell their Chrystler Sebring convertible. Though we didn't know much about the car, it seemed like a clear sign to us that we should buy from our friends who needed to sell - the transaction would benefit both of our families as the husbands started their new jobs. As it turned out, Jared and Laura needed to use the car up until a certain Friday, and the very first day that Don needed to drive to work was the following Monday - AND we were already going to Jared and Laura's house for their going-away party that very weekend! As if that wasn't enough, we expressed interest in buying the car before we knew how much it was worth. Meanwhile, Jared had prayerfully set the price tag at $2000. Ever since Don and I paid off our van, we have been setting a certain amount of money aside each month in an ING account called "New Car Savings." In December, we had over $1900 in the account, and on January 1st, the total would have topped $2000! I love when God works things out right to the last penny to answer our prayers. And even though it's not a brand new pickup truck or gas-saving hybrid supercar, Don is actually enjoying his new vehicle. My cold-hating husband was even caught driving home from work with the top down on a 50 degree December day!

There have been changes at home, too. Now that we no longer need to use one bedroom as an office, our growing family can fill our three bedrooms instead of cramming into two. While in the process of changing the office to a girls' room, we ripped out the nasty old carpet and had new carpet installed. The night before it arrived, when excess furniture and miscellaneous stuff was cluttering every room in order to leave the office completely empty, my husband (after chatting with his mother) suggested an even better idea: the newly carpeted room could be our room. The girls could have the boys' room. And the boys, and all of their toys, could have the oversize room we've been using as a master bedroom/nursery. We just hit the three year mark in this house (twice as long as we've lived anywhere else!), so it was fun (though temporarily chaotic) to change things up a bit. We are all very happy with the new set up, so when I get a chance, I'll share some pictures. I also got, after a long wait for the rescheduled delivery and a few frustrating phone calls, a brand new front loading washer. It may seem silly, but after having a very basic washing machine for five years, I am so excited about all the different cycles! It is especially nice for washing diapers. Instead of running up and down the basement stairs three times to prewash, wash, and rinse, I can just set a long sanitize cycle and forget about it until everything is clean. What a blessing!

The household rearranging was completed just in time to start our new school year this week. Since we started First Grade last January and finished in November after schooling straight through the summer, it is time to move on to second grade. I am excited about using the My Father's World Adventures curriculum since we have had such good experiences with their Kindergarten and First Grade programs. This year we will be learning about the 50 states, American history, and the names of Jesus related to our science studies. We're looking forward to a great year! In addition to homeschool, visits with grandparents, and continuing to get together with friends for Lego building time, we will also be making weekly trips to the gym. Hayden had his first gymnastics class last week and loves it already! His gymnast Daddy is thrilled, of course, and Lydia can't wait until she is big enough to join a class too!

Don and I are keeping up our own physical fitness with a brand new workout program called P90X2. Beachbody's P90X extreme fitness program is well known for yielding great results, so we hope that this sequel will do the same. Don has done P90X a few times, and I completed it myself at the end of 2010 (one of the reasons I wasn't blogging then - it's very time consuming!). It is difficult to squeeze in hour-long workouts with a new baby and three loud children who alternate between wanting to join the workout and sabotaging it with their demands ("Can I please have one raisin?"), but I love the results of a challenging exercise program. Don also wanted to follow the diet program, so I have been carefully meal planning and calorie counting for him. (Since I'm nursing and don't need to lose weight, I am not worried about the number of calories I eat, but I am trying to avoid the pile of Christmas candy in the cupboard!) And between buying new workout programs and Don and I both drinking Beachbody's Shakeology® daily, I concluded that it was worth signing up to be an Independent Team Beachbody Coach, both to get a discount ourselves, and to be able to share these products with others. We were already telling people how much we love certain products, and now we can send them to my Beachbody site to learn more about the workout programs, nutritional supplements, and online tools that Beachbody offers.

Finally, I had been thinking and praying about finding a group of other women with whom I could meet for prayer, encouragement, and accountability, when the Lord graciously introduced me to Good Morning Girls. Since Good Morning Girls is a form of online accountability for having daily quiet time, it is perfect for moms like me who may not be able to get to Bible studies and prayer groups outside of the home. A group of my local young mom friends and I have committed to hold each other accountable to grow daily with God, and we'll be emailing each other every weekday to encourage one another and share what we are learning. I am looking forward to getting to know these wonderful ladies better, and to see how God will use our group for His glory! I will also be participating in the free Ephesians Bible Study offered by Good Morning Girls. If you don't already have a daily time set aside with God, I encourage you carve out a few minutes of your day, join me in this study, and invite others to hold you accountable. I know God will bless us for being faithful to Him!

And lest you start to suspect that I am some kind of wondermom, able to embark on a myriad of new adventures without batting an eye, you should know that there is a basket of clean laundry that has been sitting in my bedroom for so long that the boys have been shopping for clean clothes in there every morning. There are piles of clutter resulting from the bedroom switcheroo (and ensuring closet switcheroo) that are driving me crazy, and I haven't baked bread (which I used to do weekly) for a year. I can't do it all, but I can do that which God has given me for this season with His help and His grace, and I am so thankful for the many new blessings and opportunities He has already given me this year. By His strength, I am excited to dive into 2012!

Monday Morning Coffee with God

It was Monday morning. I set my alarm for the first time in weeks, spent some much-needed time with the Lord, and started my sweet husband's coffee before he was even out of bed. I hadn't managed to get up quite early enough to squeeze in the workout I had hoped for, but still, I felt like I was on top of things. The sun was shining, the children were quiet, and the coffee was ready just in time.

Except, when I went to retrieve the steaming cup, I realized that something had gone wrong. Instead of finding the oversized, hand painted (by me!) mug filled with freshly brewed coffee, it was only half full. A few suspicious specks floated along the top, revealing that grounds had somehow snuck into the beverage. Upon further investigation, I discovered the source of the problem: I had forgotten to put in the filter! Here I was thinking I was so ahead of schedule, but instead, I spent fifteen less than agreeable minutes cleaning hot, wet coffee grounds out of every nook and cranny of the coffee maker. Instead of surprising my husband with my forethought, I had to apologize for the delay, dump out the spoiled cup - which turned out to have a thick layer of sludge at the bottom - and start over. So much for being on top of things.

As I reflected on the minor, but annoying, incident, I saw some similarities to my spiritual life. Sometimes I forget to look closely, and I think that things are just humming along smoothly. I assume that I am bearing fruit for God and He is filling my cup to overflowing. Often, it isn't until telltale specks of sin rise to the surface that I realize there is a problem. When I finally allow God to search my heart, the truth is revealed: neglecting to spend regular time with Him leaves me with a thick layer of spiritual sludge. Instead of overflowing with love, joy, goodness, and grace, I am depleted, and sinful thoughts and attitudes begin to taint the living water that God wants to flow through me. Weak and bitter, I have no refreshment to offer to others. I am as useful to God's kingdom as a ruined cup of would-be coffee was to my tired husband on Monday morning.

How thankful am I that the God of grace has promised to renew His mercies every morning! Repentance makes me clean. Time in the Word and prayer renews my spirit and puts my filter in place. Instead of dripping half-full and tainted with grounds, I am filled to overflowing with the goodness - indeed, the greatness! - of God.

Tomorrow morning, I will be sure to put the filter in place before attempting to bless my husband with a welcome cup of coffee. And more importantly, I resolve to rise early enough to spend time with my Lord. In seeking Him, I know I will find the hope and refreshment I need to face the day. The best part of waking up is not, in fact, the particular brand of beverage in my cup, but rather knowing that my merciful God is filling my cup with His great, compassionate, and contagious love.

Yet this I call to mind

and therefore I have hope:

Because of the LORD’s great love we are not consumed,

for his compassions never fail.

They are new every morning;

great is your faithfulness.

I say to myself, “The LORD is my portion;

therefore I will wait for him.”

The LORD is good to those whose hope is in him,

to the one who seeks him;

it is good to wait quietly

for the salvation of the LORD.

Lamentations 3:21-26

For Love of the Self

One night a few weeks ago, everyone went to bed early. I was left with a quiet house, a Bible, and the Bible study homework that had been gathering dust for a few months. As I snuggled up on a comfy chair, resisting the urge to grab popcorn and a cup of tea (I'm trying not to eat right before bed, which is a very difficult habit for me to drop!), I found myself once again remembering how much I love God's Word. And how convicting it is. In fact, I thought I was doing pretty well, which is simply evidence that I haven't recently been in the Word enough. When we really examine God's standards, we see how far short we fall - and how overwhelming His grace is for Him to give everything for such ungrateful, imperfect creatures.

Today's moment of conviction was tucked inside one of the most familiar passages in my mind: 1 Corinthians 13, the famous "love" passage. I have reflected on "love is patient, love is kind" before, but looking ahead to verse 5, I stumbled upon these provocative words: [love] is not self-seeking. "Self"...that must mean me. Love is not me-seeking. Love doesn't seek MY good. If I love God, I'm seeking HIM. I am seeking His glory. That doesn't leave room to look out for my own interests, preferences, and ideas. It doesn't leave room for my vain thoughts and selfish frustrations and woeful disappointments with the fellow humans in my life.

As I reread those lines, a fleshly little voice whispers in velvet undertones, "That's too hard. Put others first? Sure. But that doesn't mean you have to make their breakfast first. You don't have to smile when your toddler keeps waking up and you're lucky to eek out a broken six hours of sleep. Get your rest, your workout, your shower, your cup of tea, and your favorite slippers. Then you can think about changing wet sheets or convincing your husband to take out the trash. Do it when it's convenient...for YOU."

Isn't that what our society is all about? Me first? "You deserve it" is the spoken or unspoken message of most commercials. "You're worth it." "You've earned it." None of the voices of pop culture are saying, "Actually, you're worth nothing, you've earned nothing, and you deserve Hell." Only the voices of truth dare to admit such harsh statements that throw our teacups and slippers for a loop.

I love the Amplified Bible's extension of this verse:

Love (God's love in us) does not insist on its own rights or its own way, for it is not self-seeking...

Not my love, but God's love in me. Not my rights, but doing what is right. Not my way, but God's way. It all sounds simple and cliche, yet when the velvety voice points out the specifics, I realize how often I seek my own interests, my own comfort, and my own way. To really change is going to take more than my will-power. I may be able to refuse a late-night snack, but I can't stand strong against the subtle temptations of selfishness on my own. "God's love in us" - that is what calms the angry, inspires the lazy, convicts the indulgent, persuades the stubborn, and drives out the selfish. The only way to stop insisting on my own rights and my own way is to fill every recess of my mind with Him. Dear Jesus, save me from the trap of always seeking my own good. In the very details of my everyday life at home, let me surrender my rights and desires to Your perfect and holy Will. Show what it really means to love You more than I love myself.

Rising While It Is Yet Night

She gets up while it is still dark;
she provides food for her family
and portions for her servant girls.
Proverbs 31:15

I'm not too sold on this Daylight Savings Time thing. Really, what parent is? We all end up with children who won't go to bed, or won't wake up in the morning, or wake up at 5am and fall asleep during lunchtime and whine all afternoon because we have magically added or subtracted an hour from their life, yet expect business to continue as usual. My husband tells me that Arizona doesn't "do" daylight savings time. We considered moving there early in our marriage, and knowing that the state refuses to participate in such an inconvenient and (in my opinion) outdated ritual, I would gladly take up residency in the Grand Canyon state. As an added bonus, Arizona residents never have to bundle up children to go out in the snow!

The time change affects adults, too. I was just starting to appreciate that I no longer had to wake up while it was pitch black outside. I don't hate mornings, but I do hate feeling like I'm getting up in the middle of the night. Just as I began to anticipate those first twinklings of dawn, though, they were taken away. This morning I was sure it must be 4am when my clock said 6:27. The room, and the sky, were so dark that the idea of getting up seemed almost ridiculous. God immediately brought the verse from Proverbs 31 to my mind: "She rises while it is still dark." Other translations say, "She also rises while it is yet night." The Proverbs 31 woman is so often held up as a standard for Christian wives, and today, I can claim that I emulated at least one of her actions!

I have found that there are blessings to early rising, even while it is "yet night." Though I am more of a night person by nature, I do enjoy the peaceful quiet of starting a morning with just my thoughts and the Lord. Lately, that peaceful quiet has lasted for about five minutes before Hayden comes toddling out of his room, rubbing his eyes and saying, "Bright light!" and often requiring an immediate diaper change. If I can bring myself to get up earlier, though, I have time to get dressed and ready for the day in peace. I can make myself presentable to my husband, so that the image in his mind as he drives off to work will be one of an attractive, well-groomed wife, rather than a sleep-deprived mother still in her pajamas. Though I am yet to manage to work it into my busy schedule, I could start the day with some stretching to wake up my stiff pregnant muscles. And I can provide food for my family by starting breakfast early enough to allow our one meal as a family to be a time of peace, rather than a hurried affair as Daddy flies out the door, running late for work.

Most importantly, early mornings give me a chance to start my day with God. While this certainly is not a Biblical requirement, nor is it even possible for all mothers, I find that an early meeting with the Lord helps prepare my heart to serve Him all day long. Before my body is nourished with eggs and toast (our typical breakfast), I can nourish my soul with the living Word. Some reading from the Bible, a devotional, reflection, and prayer can all prepare my heart the same way getting dressed prepares my appearance. By exercising self-discipline to get up earlier, I can shed my spiritual pajamas and put on the armor of God by the light of His presence.

Here are a few practical tips on finding a morning quiet time that work for me:

1. Commit to waking at a certain time. Setting my alarm is the first step in waking up early. I am never going to "feel like" getting out of bed when I could be snuggled up under warm covers beside my husband. Moving the alarm out of reach so I do not have a choice to hit the snooze button helps, too.

2. Have a plan and a place. Organization can go a long way in making the morning go smoothly. If I plan to get dressed, then have quiet time, then start breakfast, I know exactly how much I time I have to do each activity. Next, I need a place to go. Some people have a special prayer closet. I tend to have a favorite chair, and keeping my Bible beside it creates an inviting place to curl up and read the Word. Gather whatever supplies you need - a Bible, notebook, pens, devotionals, list of people to pray for, etc - and keep them in a designated drawer, basket, or other special place. Then when you get up, you won't have to waste time looking for that book or writing utensil.

3. Establish a pattern. I always find that I am more likely to read the Bible when I have a set time of day to do it, so that it becomes a habit. Whether your pattern is to read as soon as you wake up, right after breakfast, or as soon as you tuck the children into bed, it becomes harder to break a habit than it is to keep it. Commit yourself to spending this time daily (or every weekday) until it becomes a regular and anticipated part of your routine.

4. Use the computer wisely. When I had a nursing baby, I found it convenient to use my laptop for nursing-at-keyboard Bible study. I could read Scripture at Bible Gateway, My Utmost for His Highest, and copy-and-paste verses for reflection into a text document. However, the computer can quickly become a distraction, especially when a browser window pops up with unread messages or the latest headlines. If you choose to use the Internet as a tool, I suggest setting up boundaries, such as a shortcut directly to devotional sites.

5. Be a slave to the Savior, not to a system. If I find myself getting angry with my children for waking up during my quiet time, something is not right. Spending time with God does not excuse me from fulfilling my responsibilities as a wife, mother, and Christian. I also need to let go of my perfectionism and refuse guilt if I cannot find quiet time every single day. As I said, early mornings may not be feasible for everyone, especially if you have a new baby, your husband works an odd shift, or you have a child who consistently wakes up while it is "yet night." While I have experienced blessings from starting my day in the Word, it is by no means a requirement. If you can not slip out of bed without waking someone, try keeping a Bible on your nightstand or praying silently (with eyes open so you don't fall back to sleep!). If waking up earlier in the morning is not practical, use naptime or the children's bedtime as an opportunity to spend time with God. If nothing else, try reading Scripture during breakfast, memorizing a verse in the shower, and singing praise songs while you work in the kitchen. God looks at the heart, not the clock. Making time for Him later in the day is far better than beating yourself up with guilt over missing a morning date.

For more practical tips on a variety of subjects, check out Works for Me Wednesdays at We are THAT Family!